BREXIT FOR MUSICIANS EXPLAINED PROPERLY

Yup it’s a Shitshow ! 

Understanding solutions for the current nightmare for all creative arts and support staff after Brexit, yes in the UK and the EU in both directions.

Thanks to Kap for asking me to contribute to his awesome new blog space, a quick intro. Many will know me as an agent, running two agencies over the last 20 years, 300 artists or so. Everything from repping Phil Rudd (AC/DC) to working with Grammy winners, Cirque du Soleil, singer Francesca Gagnon, and legendary world music acts like Los De Abajo or Transglobal Underground and many more. Also of absolute core importance to me is breaking brand new acts from around the world to new audiences.

Of course, I'm also a musician/composer for around 40 years (really) and have achieved moderate success. Also, sound engineer, tour manager UK registered work sponsor for issuing Certificates of Sponsorship, MU national chair of one of the sections for 8 years back in the day, yup all of that and a lot more, even a promoter and festival organiser.

So to cut to the chase, around 4 years ago we all know what happened, now what was that again, Mmmmm ah yes Brexit was facilitated by a public vote, referendum if you please. So, as I could see the nightmare ahead ( I think others labelled it project fear), I founded a free to use non-commercial, apolitical website. We give precise fact-checked information for everyone, including course event programmers everywhere, it’s at ukeartswork.info if you want to check it out.

I’m not here to create a platform for blame or further division but to discuss what as a creative industy we do now to reduce the "costs" of Brexit. Whether, as seems inevitable, the UK and EU align ever closer together over time in terms of every aspect of our lives seems to me inevitable (and necessary ) given our geography and shared markets , hey we're neighbours after all!

Since 2016 many of us have voiced concern about the impact at al levels of the creative arts, particularly the live scene. Anyone with a clue of how this works knows the LIVE scene now across all disciplines, Music, Dance, Theatre, Comedy is the engine room of that industry. This also seeps into Film, making other allied forms. Also of vital importance is the effects on our support services, crew, technicians, drivers, merch suppliers, backline hire, production services ALL at risk given the new barriers we have to navigate.

So come on Ian what's your point, mate?, get to it!! Here we go

Work permits ; We now have as UK nationals and EU nationals needing to perform in both directions having to deal with Work permits ( EU simple system into the UK ) UK having to deal with 27 different requirements, some like Germany and France 90 days permit-free in any one year, the Netherlands up to 6 weeks ( one visit ) in any 13 week period. Spain ZERO allowance, Portugal ZERO allowance and a very mixed picture everywhere else. So yes it's far more challenging to navigate.

Carnets: yes that pain in the ass document necessary for the temporary export and reimport of equipment used for professional purposes cost in the UK £365 plus a security deposit on a % of the value of your instruments etc. ( though we think there may be an exemption for "portables," i.e. things you can carry through yourself as personal instruments ( Not in the van or truck with masses of gear that still needs a carnet ) this will be clarified soon http://ukeartswork.info/carnets.php

VAT and Import duty on merchandise at point of entry .. yup it used to be at point of sale, no more! Plus an EORI number but too much info I guess for here .. you'll find more about this on our UKEARTSwork site.

Cabotage: the imposition for larger trucks carrying goods as part of their load of new restrictions as Johnson's "Deal" overwrote existing "law" exemptions. Yes, this includes merchandise ( though coming down to 2.5 tonnes reportedly soon) where when visiting the EU with such a vehicle OR into the UK the same, a limit of 3 stops before returning to the host country within 7 days.

So what's the solution dude? There are now multiple campaigns coming, the one I'm most directly in front of is Carry on touring ( nope Sid James and the sadly departed Babs Windsor are not involved ) covering all creative arts. We want the UK gov to get back to negotiating "side deals" we know they cant reopen the "deal", so that's where we are.

Some of you may have seen the Indy article here where in giving evidence to the Parliamentary committee a week or so ago.

I proposed a solution including getting round all the arguments made by both the UK govt and taking into account the EU's stated position on the "apparent" offer the EU made and the UK via several spokespeople including DCMS MP Caroline Dineage deflected in the recent debate. If anyone wants to see the document I've let Kap have this, and we may publish via the blog. If anyone is interested. 

To finish, and to assuage the naysayers that bemoan people like Sir Elton, Sting et al. who are frankly not affected ( hint they have people to do this for them), they made their voices known to support those starting out. Also for those saying well why should they work when we cant in the EU. The point is that the EU and the UK are within our respective "hoods". It's easier than gigging halfway across the planet, or maybe Albania or Japan that the trade secretary Truss has just done trad deals with ( or reasserted the ones we had before but with worse conditions.

The creative arts as a whole generate £13million PER HOUR for the UK, its overall 11.7% of GDP according to the DCMS, Music alone generates nearly £6 BILLION a year for the UK. Our festivals will be poorer for the lack of EU musicians feeling they can easily tour, and for UK musicians it's the same. The same is true for all art forms and their support staff and associated services that by the way, is over 200,000 Jobs at risk. A final point noticed in the "debate" in parliament on my friend Tim Brennan's petition. ALL of the voices raised (even a Brexiteer Tory suggested the Minister listen to me and look at my solution. Yes I nearly fell off my chair) ALL of the voices noted this was utter insanity. 

Yes, of course, a few of the voices (Tories) were blaming the EU (pointless stupid and frankly missing the point), so we have broad cross-party cross-cultural support for this, part of the fabric of all our lives Music and the creative arts.

We are always stronger together wherever we come from geographically, and the arts is a language we all share, time to make that voice heard I guess. 

I rest my case ( for now, wink wink )

To be continued ………… 

Ian

Founder UKEARTSWORK.info Agency owner Frusion and Fizzion international based in the UK and Vienna Austria …

(and co fronting "Carry On Touring" campaign with Tim Brennan and supported by DevoConnect )

“Carry on Touring is a public facing campaign to push forward Tim Brennan’s petition – organised by Gill Morris, DevoConnect with the support of Tim Brennan, petition creator and Ian Smith, Frusion/Fizzion agency/management & UKE ArtsWork.”